Note 1580 — Chapter XVI · THE INTERREGNUM.[1503] October 15–December 25, 1066.

The story is told at length by Guy of Amiens, 687 et seqq. I confess that these stories of secret messages always strike me as somewhat suspicious, to say nothing of the misconception of the state of things involved in the description of London as a besieged town. But it is not likely that Guy should have invented the name and the whole story of his “Ansgardus,” and, as I before said (see above, p. 424), I do not see who he can be except the Staller and Sheriff Esegar. About the siege, Guy, as before (see above, p. 542), is explicit. Esegar is made to say (699),

“Molis et erectæ transcendit machina turres,

Ictibus et lapidum mœnia scissa ruunt.”